on't, and I won't, by God!" he retorted, in a sort of fierce
whisper, and the violent words sounded strange uttered in that
whispering voice.

Sophy sat still, her eyes on his.

"Morris," she said, "do you think that I will ever be your wife again,
after what you said to me the other day? After what you accused me of?"

The blood rushed into his face, up to the very roots of his hair.

"I was mad.... I didn't know what I was saying----"

"You knew well what you were saying.... You were only mad with rage....
I can never forgive those words--never really forgive them. There's some
part of me that _cannot_ forgive them."

He looked at her doggedly. His face was a mask of obstinacy.

"What did I say?" he demanded. "I've forgotten.... I was beside myself,
I tell you.... What were those unforgivable words?"

Sophy did not reply at once; then she said softly, on a deep breath:

"Oh ... _Morris!_..."

He flared red again, set his jaw. All at once he relaxed. There came a
kind of hopeful bravado into his voice.

"It's no use," he said. "You can't get me to believe any such thing as
this. But you've given me a bad jolt--if that's any satisfaction. I
suppose what you're after is to discipline me a bit. That's why you've
rounded on me like this.... Well, I'll admit I've deserved it. But if
you only knew how that little demon worked on me ... damn her!"

He brought his fist down on the arm of his chair several times.

"Damn her! Damn her!" he kept repeating back of his locked teeth.

Now Sophy reddened.

"Don't...." she exclaimed, in revolt. "Don't lay the blame on a woman
... a girl...."

"Why shouldn't I lay it where it belongs?"

"Then lay it on yourself," she retorted, with passion. "Take the blame
like a man ... let me remember you as acting like a man ... not like a
spoiled child...."

"A 'spoiled child,' am I?"

"Yes, Morris, yes.... And that makes me patient with you. You haven't
had half a chance--no, not from boyhood. And I ... I've helped.... Oh,
do you think ... do you _dream_ ... that if it hadn't been for that, I'd
have stayed one moment under your roof after you said those vile,
unspeakable things to me? Don't you understand?... It is over.... I am
going back to my own home. I will never live with you again....
Never.... Never!"

Still he did not believe her--he could not. He said sullenly at last:

"Well--go to your precious Virginia. I'll come there later when you've
simmered down a bit. T